Tag Archives: NCAA

As expected, Sunday’s media sources immediately opened with proclamations on the impressive strength of Ohio State, in particular in how they had dismantled Michigan State, and one wouldn’t be surprised if the media forgot all about their ugly loss at home to hapless Virginia Tech back in September. Forgetting that defeat, and overemphasizing their victory over a largely unimpressive Michigan State would be an overreach at best and lunacy by anyone’s measure who rationally interprets Big-10 football, and yet that is exactly what the media is doing. Whether you watched The Sports Reporters on Sunday, or listened to The Herd on monday you were being fed the exact same line of nonsense.

The Big-10 has been in severe decline for more than a decade, and only Ohio State, and a recent run by Michigan State has managed to camouflage just how badly things have gone in the former powerhouse conference of college football. A region once celebrated for producing many of the best college football sides, ever, along with local Notre Dame began falling off in the 1990’s with the decline of Ohio State under John Cooper, then accelerated as Michigan began to fall into decline nearly a decade ago. Iowa had long since become irrelevant, and Penn State had begun to fall apart seemingly the second they joined. Ohio State fell apart during the Cooper era at the tail end of the 20th century, losing 8 of 11 bowls while Michigan enjoyed a mild renaissance, but the tale turned when Jim Tressell arrived and lead Ohio State on a decade long run of dominance of the conference, while Michigan began to slowly slip into irrelevance by the end of the aughts. All is well and good with regards to this performance in conference, but what we’re concerned with is the performance of the Big 5 of the Big 10, when they have to leave the conference, which in the end, is the whole point of the Playoff.

Ohio State, the acknowledged king of the Conference since the aughts, has compiled a record of 5-7 in New Years Day bowls since the 2000 season, 4-7 if you consider the vacated Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas several years ago (in which the NCAA rigged things so that Ohio State’s stars would be available for Arkansas and ticket sales would not be hampered-2 of the key players who should have been suspended played an essential role in securing the victory). The record gets even uglier if you dig in and notice that Ohio State has secured only 2 bowl victories in the past decade, one of which was that aforementioned tainted victory (for the record I don’t mind teams winning with tainted players, what I mind is when the NCAA arbitrarily measures punishments seemingly based upon a players means (read: lawyers of the Manziel family), or ticket sales (read: 2011 Ohio State Sugar Bowl $$$ interests) or lack thereof (USC and Reggie Bush, Oklahoma State’s Dez Byrant, Georgia’s AJ Green, and Todd Gerley). Ohio State was annihilated of course in its previous two trips to the National Title Game, and has essentially been beaten or even worse clowned repeatedly in bowl games while its victories have almost uniformally been against largely unimpressive sides (only their 2010 victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl, and their controversial 2003 title game victory over Miami stand out over the past fifteen years of their history.

Michigan, a side that was once a consistent power in NCAA football has fallen on bad times over the past decade, losing seven of its past 9 bowl games. Even worse, Michigan hasn’t won a consequential bowl game of note since Tom Brady was at the helm, guiding Michigan to a thrilling Orange Bowl victory over Alabama in 2000 in his last hurrah as a Wolverine.

Wisconsin has won only 3 of its past 11 bowls, and 6 of their past 7, including three consecutive Rose Bowls from 2011-2013. About the only positive thing one can say about Wisconsin during the Big-10’s decline is that unlike Ohio State, when defeated in major bowl games, Wisconsin actually shows up. All three of their most recent Rose Bowl defeats were one score games, where Wisconsin had a chance to win if they could have scored a TD late, that didn’t happen, however, in any of the three games.

The only two colleges in the Big-10 with anything remotely resembling a decent record in bowl games since the conference began its now decade long decline are Michigan State and Penn State. What’s telling, in particular, about their relative success, is that it has come largely because both colleges have failed to face off against the nations best in their bowl games, and were instead able to beat lesser sides in lesser bowls. Penn State has been awful of late , losing 3 of its past four bowl gamest, but they are .500 during this era of decline. The problem? Penn State has only one quality bowl victory during this era. a triple overtime Orange Bowl win over Florida State nine years ago (admittedly, not a great FSU team).

What of Michigan State? Well, on the positive side, Michigan State is in the only college football team in the Big-10 with a recent winning record, having rolled to victories over Stanford and Georgia in the past three seasons, very impressive wins. However, even with Michigan State, take a look at the long term trend, and before that recent three year run, you see Michigan State lost five straight bowl games from 2002-2010, an overall trend that points to a 4-5 bowl record in the aughts. Much like the best of the rest of the Big-10, Michigan State hasn’t even managed to put together a .500 record in bowl games since the aughts.

Consider, the SEC has absolutely dominated the Big-10 during this era, and the Pac-12, Big-12, and even mid-major conferences have registered superior bowl records. Across every single means of analysis the Big-10 falls short, whether in measuring performance in BCS bowl games, or non-BCS bowl games, or combined total bowl game performances. Taken as a whole, the Big-10 has fallen sharply behind a rising Pac-12, and Big-12, while the SEC has lapped it. Only the ACC can claim to be as bad during this era, and unlike the Big-10, the ACC has owned its baggage, with few if any among the fan base willing to argue that any side other than Florida State circa 2013-Present, worthy of discussion since Michael Vick, and the late great Sean Taylor moved on to the pro game.

So again, tell me why Ohio State deserves a shot? Apparently the media thinks scoring 49+ over and over again while playing Big-10 colleges should recommend such prestige. My question is why? I have just cited more than a decade of evidence that suggests that the best of the Big-10, not even the worst of the conference (which is horrifically bad, needless to say), are routinely curb stomped the second they match wits with quality sides out of the Big-12, Pac-12, SEC, or even Mid-Majors when bowl season comes around. Who have they beaten exactly? A Michigan State team that hasn’t beaten anyone beyond fellow weaklings in the Big-10? A Penn State team they needed OT, and some ref help to beat (the league has admitted the refs screwed up on multiple decisive plays that helped gift Ohio State the win)? Anyone else? They beat Powerhouse 1-8 Kent State, fellow conference Titan 4-5 Illinois (1-4 in the Big-10), Hell they even lost at home to Va Tech by 14, yeah, that Va Tech that’s 4-5, and 1-4 in the awful ACC.

So again, their meaningful wins this year are against an utterly irrelevant Maryland side that joined the Big-10 this year (6-3, now that they get to play in the awful Big-10 instead of against the ACC where they finished in a tie with the 10th worst conference record in 2013), a ref-assisted win against a bad Penn State side whose signature wins this year are against UMASS, and Indiana, and a victory over Michigan State whose signature performance this year was losing by 19 in Oregon.

So, you say Ohio State deserves to be in the conversation? Well, give me a moment to stop laughing. We’re talking about the Ohio State that hasn’t impressed in a bowl game since 2009? The Ohio State that has registered one quality bowl win the past decade? The Ohio State that has gotten clowned any time it’s faced off with a top 4 ranked NCAA side since the fall of 2002? That Ohio State? Oh, no, you’re saying this one. The one that lost at home to a sub .500, ACC cellar dweller, and hasn’t beaten ANYONE all year.

We should put them in above who exactly? An SEC side like Ole Miss, or MSU, sides that have played toe to toe with the best of the ACC, or Auburn, which can’t play defense, but can play with anybody, Alabama, with one blemish to its record, and a history of dominating in bowl games, unlike, say, I don’t know, Ohio State?

You say, no, you respect the SEC, it’s those Pac-12, no defense bums they should be in ahead of? Really? Ahead of an ASU side that has beaten the piss out of Notre Dame (a Notre Dame people were claiming should be in the top 4 of the bowls because the quality of their loss to #1 FSU at the time), beaten up Stanford, beaten USC in LA, beaten Utah? They should be ahead of Oregon, a side whose only loss was to 7-2 Arizona, and a loss that was registered while they were missing multiple key starters along their OL.

Should they be ahead of TCU or Baylor? Well, Baylor beat 8-1 TCU with some luck, and beat the hell out of preseason national title game candidate 6-3 Oklahoma in Oklahoma. TCU? Well they’ve beaten West Virginia on the road, and beat 7th ranked K-State, #4 ranked Oklahoma, and #15 ranked Oklahoma State (rankings were at the time).

So who do we lift Ohio State above exactly? TCU or Baylor? I have no idea how or why one should. Should they be ranked ahead of Arizona State, or Oregon? I have no idea how or why. Should they be ranked ahead of Mississippi State or Alabama? To be frank, I seriously doubt Ohio State could defeat ANY of the SEC West teams on the road, and probably would struggle to beat all save Texas A&M on a neutral site field.

So when it comes down to it, when you hear Big-10 whiners, and Ohio State apologists make claims about what Ohio State has earned in the coming weeks, do remember, just how awful the Big-10 really is, and just how few quality wins they actually have (zero, unless you consider Michigan State quality because they only lost 46-27 at Oregon). In order to have respect, a team and conference needs to earn it, and the ugly truth about the Big-10 is that it hasn’t been a dominant conference in decades, and it has been lapped by SEC, and overtaken by not only the Pac-12, but even the evicerated Big-12, which lost multiple teams to the SEC, and has seen Texas go into sharp decline in recent years. Heck even Mid-Majors like the Mountain West/WAC have performed better in recent years with UNR, Boise State, and TCU all registering impressive wins against supposedly superior conference foes that would be the envy of the Big-10, and in one case, was the Big-10 (when TCU defeated Big-10 Champ Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl in 2011).

If Ohio State fans want to know why they’ll be left out come the NCAA playoff, I have a simple answer for their fans. The Buckeyes and their conference simply isn’t good enough. Period. If you want answers, perhaps you can find them in the decline of the Rust Belt, with much of the region having been depopulated due the decline of heavy industry in this country in the seventies, and eighties and nineties, much of the population moving South, or West, or even to Texas for better opportunities. If there’s any good news, it’s that Ohio still continues to be a wellspring of NFL caliber talent, and as long as that’s so, and Ohio State has a recruiter like Urban Meyer, perhaps things might change, at least a little bit. But it’s going to take more than one coach, and one year to turn around what has been a decades long process culminating in an era of absolute futility from 2000-Present.

For the College Football Playoff committee, Week 10 played out as an affirmation of its assumptions. Mississippi State, Florida State and Auburn each earned hard-fought victories, while other potential spoilers began falling by the wayside.

So it should be no surprise that the committee’s second meeting was a lot more self-explanatory. As expected, the trio atop last week’s landscape remained in a state of inertia, while former No. 5 team Oregon slid into the final opening.

Idle Alabama and an ascending TCU outfit represent the last two teams waiting for their higher-ranked adversaries to falter. Here is a full look at how the rest of the committee’s Top 25 played out:

1. Mississippi State (8-0)

2. Florida State (8-0)

3. Auburn (7-1)

4. Oregon (8-1)

5. Alabama (7-1)

6. TCU (7-1)

7. Kansas State (7-1)

8. Michigan State (7-1)

9. Arizona State (7-1)

10. Notre Dame (7-1)

11. Mississippi (7-2)

12. Baylor (7-1)

13. Nebraska (8-1)

14. Ohio State (7-1)

15. Oklahoma (6-2)

16. LSU (7-2)

17. Utah (6-2)

18. UCLA (7-2)

19. Arizona (6-2)

20. Georgia (6-2)

21. Clemson (6-2)

22. Duke (7-1)

23. West Virginia (6-3)

24. Georgia Tech (7-2)

25. Wisconsin (6-2)

Much of these preliminary rankings will become moot in the remaining weeks when several high-ranked teams play each other. For instance, Notre Dame plays at Arizona State on Saturday. Head-to-head results are among several criteria the committee has been assigned to consider.

The final rankings, to be released Dec. 7 after several conferences hold championship games, will determine the six playoff-affiliated bowls, including the two semifinals, which will be held at the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. The championship game will be held Jan. 12 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

Heisman Trophy-winning Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston led his team to a national title on the field this past season, but he continues to make negative headlines off the field.

The dual-sports star was issued a misdemeanor citation for stealing crab legs from the grocery store Publix, according to Tomahawk Nation. We will update this story as more information becomes available.

[UPDATE I: While the college football world waits for the police department to release the record of the citation, the Leon County Sheriff’s Department has announced a 2 pm news conference to discuss the matter.]

[UPDATE II: Florida State has announced that Winston is suspended from the baseball team.]

[UPDATE III: The Leon County Sheriff’s office held its press conference to discuss the civil citation Jameis Winston received for shoplifting crab legs from a Publix supermarket. Major Michael Wood began by clearly stating that Jameis Winston “has not been arrested for any crime.” Here’s a paraphrased transcript of the rest of his comments:

At approximately 10pm last night, a local Publix reported that someone left without paying for $32.72 of food. We talked to staff and off-duty deputy and were able to determine that it was Winston who left without paying. Made contact with Winston at his residence to talk about it. In a post-Miranda interview, Winston was cooperative. He acknowledged that he had left Publix without paying for the items. He said he “forgot”, realized it when he got home, but had made no effort to contact the store or go back and pay.

We determined that he was eligible for pre-diversion civil citation program for non-violent offenses of people with no criminal history. Winston has to do 20 hours of community service, and has been given seven days to reach out to the program. There is video of him entering and leaving the store. He was alone. The facts are not in dispute. He left without paying.]

Just a few weeks after UConn’s national championship MVP point guard Shabazz Napier said that there were nights that he went to bed “starving” while attending college, the NCAA announced the removal of meal and snack restrictions on Division I athletes, according to NCAA associate director of communications Michelle Brutlag Hosick. Thus enabling universities to provide their student-athletes with unlimited snacks and meals.

Whereas previously student-athletes were afforded only three meals per day, they will now have unlimited access to meals provided by on-campus facilities. The privilege will extend to walk-on athletes as well.

Napier told reporters he doesn’t believe athletes should be given “thousands of dollars,” his comments about going to bed hungry struck a national chord (via Soraya Nadia McDonald of The Washington Post):

I feel like a student athlete. Sometimes, there’s hungry nights where I’m not able to eat, but I still gotta play up to my capabilities. I don’t see myself as so much of an employee, but when you see your jersey getting sold, it may not have your last name on it, but when you see your jersey getting sold, to some credit, you feel like you want something in return…There are hungry nights when I go to bed and I’m starving.

The new provision seems sensible, although hopefully there will be safeguards against rampant waste. Also, it would seem as though resource-rich schools would gain a recruiting advantage, but it’s hard to see it becoming anymore lopsided than the current system wherein the best athletes are wooed with the most expensive facilities and coaches.

One former college athlete commented on the latest news:

I’ll tell u what the NCAA really lucked out that I don’t have any eligibility left.

“I have dismissed Chad Kelly for conduct detrimental to our program. He has had a pattern of behavior that is not consistent with the values of our program. I hope he will mature and grow from this and become the man and player I know he can be. I wish him nothing but the best in the future academically and athletically.”

There were reports that Kelly got into an altercation with members of Tigers’ coaching staff , including Coach Swinney and offensive coordinator Chad Morris, during the school’s Orange and White Game on Saturday. He didn’t play in the second half after throwing for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

Kelly tweeted his thoughts on the matter earlier Monday afternoon:

Thats Crazy Someone Would Lie Like That? Wow Is All Imma Say. Good Thing I Got A Great Family And Close Friends.

EPISODE 157: The boys return the the Rant Radio Network studios after a week off, for a jam pack show. The guys breakdown and give their thoughts on last night NCAA National Championship game between UCONN and Kentucky. Also on the show: DTM or Destiny for NBA and NHL Playoff teams, NASCAR News with BudKnocker, MLB Opening Week and Yasiel Puig’s immaturity issue, Wide World of Sports, 5 on 5 MMA Fight, and much more.

Great time with the #SportsCast family at the first NFL Happy Hour Event at @IslandsBurgers in West Covina! #LiveEvent #FoodAndDrinkTasting #NFL #SportsCastFamily #GoodTimes #IslandsRestuarant #TNF #BurgersAndBeer

Thanks to all our sponsors for their continued support of the #SportsCast and helping us live our dream! #WeLoveYouAll #PWCI #DysonMotors #JuicyWhip #FiremansBrew #WideOpenPhoto #PeppyPants #BudKnockersDippingHole #TokraSamni #SportsTradeX #IslandsResturants #JBLManagement #SportsCastGolfTournament

Great time with the #SportsCast family at the first NFL Happy Hour Event at @IslandsBurgers in West Covina! #LiveEvent #FoodAndDrinkTasting #NFL #SportsCastFamily #GoodTimes #IslandsRestuarant #TNF #BurgersAndBeer

CLIPS OF THE WEEK

Bro Uses Snow Plow To Get Ultimate Revenge On Masshole Who Won’t Move His Car
Is Boogie Boarding Gigantic Sand Dunes In New Zealand The Next Extreme Sport? If So, Count Me In!
Jimmy Fallon Did His Own Version Of Bad Lip-Reading Using Celebs On The Oscars Red Carpet
It’s one homeless man against four cops, and you can hear them use a taser on him. Then, they shot him multiple times (:25).
Teen Tapes A Bunch Of Mentos To His Body, Jumps Into A Bathtub Full Of Coke
This is a brutal head-on collision that results in a guy with a VERY gnarly broken knee.